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Colistin Side Effects

The most commonly reported side effects of colistin include off label use, drug resistance, and condition aggravated, based on 2,916 FDA adverse event reports from 2004 to 2025. 16.0% of reports found the drug to be ineffective.

Colistin side effects

Percentages show how often each reaction appears relative to total reports for colistin.

1
Drug Ineffective16.0%467
2
Off Label Use9.0%261
3
Drug Resistance6.6%193
4
Condition Aggravated6.4%188
5
Septic Shock5.9%173
6
Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome5.2%153
7
Sepsis4.9%144
8
Acute Kidney Injury4.5%130
9
Pathogen Resistance4.2%122
10
Death3.6%106
11
Pseudomonas Infection3.3%96
12
Pneumonia3.3%96
13
Pyrexia3.3%95
14
Infective Pulmonary Exacerbation Of Cystic Fibrosis3.3%95
15
Infection2.8%81

These are voluntary reports and do not establish that colistin caused these reactions.

Report severity

93.7%Serious2,731 reports
46.8%Hospitalizations1,366 reports
31.0%Fatal905 reports

Seriousness is determined by the reporter, not by OpenClaim.

Colistin drug interactions

Other drugs that appear in adverse event reports alongside colistin. Drugs flagged as a suspected cause appear in the first column. Drugs taken at the same time but not suspected appear in the second.

Also suspected

1
Meropenem23.5%686
2
Vancomycin14.3%418
3
Tigecycline13.2%385
4
Tobramycin9.4%273
5
Ivacaftor9.1%265
6
Ceftazidime8.8%256
7
Ciprofloxacin8.4%245
8
Linezolid8.3%243
9
Amikacin-sulfate8.1%235
10
Voriconazole6.7%196
11
Dexamethasone6.3%184
12
Amphotericin-b6.3%183
13
Tacrolimus6.1%178
14
Mycophenolate5.8%170
15
Aztreonam5.8%168

Taken alongside

1
Albuterol13.9%405
2
Meropenem12.1%354
3
Dornase-alfa10.9%317
4
Lipase9.8%287
5
Azithromycin9.4%274
6
Pancrelipase-amylase9.3%271
7
Protease9.3%271
8
Vancomycin9.0%262
9
Tobramycin7.8%226
10
Ciprofloxacin6.5%189
11
Fluticasone6.4%187
12
Insulin6.1%179
13
Omeprazole6.1%178
14
Sodium-chloride6.1%177
15
Dexamethasone5.5%160

Co-occurrence in adverse event reports does not establish a drug interaction. Patients often take multiple medications, and these lists reflect prescribing patterns rather than causal relationships. Consult a healthcare provider about potential drug interactions.

Who reports colistin side effects

37.6% of colistin adverse event reports involve female patients and 52.1% involve male patients. The largest age group is adult at 63%. These figures reflect who reports side effects, not underlying risk.

Sex

Female37.6%
Male52.1%
Unknown10.3%

Age group

< 24.2%
2–116.5%
12–175.7%
18–6462.8%
65+20.7%

What is colistin used for

Conditions and purposes for which patients were taking colistin when the adverse event was reported.

Abdominal InfectionAbdominal Wall AbscessAbscessAchromobacter InfectionAcinetobacter BacteraemiaAcinetobacter InfectionAcinetobacter SepsisAcinetobacter Test PositiveAcute Myeloid LeukaemiaAdverse EventAntibiotic ProphylaxisAntibiotic TherapyAntifungal ProphylaxisAntiviral TreatmentAnxiety

Showing 15 of 333 indications

Colistin brand names and reporting trend

Colistin is sold under the brand name Coly-mycin S.

Brand names

Coly-mycin S3,702

Quarterly reports (20042025)

20052010201520202025

An upward trend reflects increased FAERS reporting overall, not necessarily increased risk.

Taking colistin with another medication?

Ask OpenClaim about your specific drug combination. Get a sourced report using FDA data, drug labels, and medical literature.